Republicans vs. Democrats: How Are They Different?

"I know some of what makes Republicans different from Democrats, but what is the MAIN difference?" —Emily, 14, Edgewater, MD

Wow! That's such a great question! It's also an extremely tough one to answer. The reason is that both the Republican and Democratic parties have official platforms, which are basically summaries of how each party feels about specific issues, BUT very few people agree with one party on every single issue. This means that determining which issues are the MOST important to Republicans and Democrats, or what the main difference is between Republicans and Democrats, really depends on which Republicans and Democrats you ask.

For instance, if you were to ask a college student whose brother or sister has been a victim of a high school shooting, she might say that her belief in the need for gun control laws is the main reason she is a Democrat. On the other hand, if you were to ask another college student whose family member was a victim of the September 11 attacks, he might say that his support of the current war on terrorism makes him more of a Republican, even if he also supports gun control. As you can see, it's complicated — and even a bit confusing. I think this is probably why a lot of younger voters are moving away from traditional party labels altogether. According to Rock the Vote, as well as my own interviews with young voters for my book, PARTY CRASHING, younger voters are increasingly identifying themselves as "Independents" as opposed to Democrats or Republicans. Who knows?

As the number of Independent voters increases, maybe one day the idea of politicians not working together simply because of their party labels will become a thing of the past.